Contributors

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

We just finished lunch and are now hanging out in my dorm for the time being. Lunch was fantastic because it was filled with tons of laughs and good memories! In class this morning Robin Rose came to speak to us about listening and communication skills. She got us all to be active and speak to people who we normally don't speak to. All of her advise will really help out in the future. I forgot to mention the community time we had yesterday. We split up into groups depending on our leadership styles. I was in the west group where our main style was thinking logically and planning everything out before acting. We also had to do a skit where we have to think of a plan to get across a river. Our plan was simple, we just walked across. I really like this program because all the kids are here because they want to be here. Also, they are at the dame level and I like having that intellectual conversation instead of the usual "umm..." conversations. We have to get back to class now! bye!

1 comment:

Gina--Sounds like you're learning some important lessons about life: good food and good friends.

I like some of this stuff they're teaching you, too. That thing about thinking before you take action--sounds pretty much like common sense but we sure don't see it as much as we need to.

We're seeing a recurring theme all across the Ivy League this summer, Gina, wherein our team members are realizing how much fun getting an education can be when you have teachers that are inspired and you have students who actually want to be there.

Sometimes we see that good, smart and successful kids are less popular in school than the "cool" crowd that see nothing wrong with skipping classes, making "Tardy" their middles name, and refusing to pay attention, study or do homework.

We all want to be popular so a lot of "good" kids, in an effort to be a part of the "cool" crowd, lower their standards and become more like the slackers in the "cool" crowd.

Instead of even trying to bring these kids up to their level, though, they tend to lower themselves to the slacker's level. Maybe it's just because it's a much easier path to take.

Who's the winner in a situation like that?

What you're seeing now, though, is that when you put a bunch of students together who all have the smarts and are there because they want to be there, good things can happen--positive things can happen.

This is all a part of what we hope you learn in your leadership classes. When you return home, we need you and your teammates to take leadership positions to bring these slackers up to your level. We need you to show them that getting an education is actually a good thing and that you can still have fun and be cool while learning new and exciting things that can actually help you with the rest of your life.

we need you to initiate a "Train the Trainer" mentality where you help motivate a few people who then each motivate a few more people. It's the classic pyramid scheme where it all starts with just one person and the next thing you know the whole world is following suit.

You're already headed down the right path, Gina. Now we need you to invite a few more people to join you. The next thing you know, everyone will want to head down that path together.